


to hold you in my arms

by wolfish_willow



Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Good Parent Joyce Byers, He Totally Gets One, Hurt Steve Harrington, Hurt/Comfort, Jim "Chief" Hopper Lives, Minor Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler, Multi, POV Steve Harrington, POV Third Person, Post-Season/Series 03, Pre-Jonathan Byers/Steve Harrington/Nancy Wheeler, Pre-Relationship, Steve Harrington Needs a Hug, but i mean you know how it goes by now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-10
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:41:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27998424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfish_willow/pseuds/wolfish_willow
Summary: Steve goes to check on Nancy and Jonathan in their ambulance after the Battle of Starcourt.--His breath catches when he sees the ambulance where Nancy and Jonathan are. Steve moves without thought. The person who cleaned his wounds calls for him to sit back down but he can't. He has to see that she's—they're—okay.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington, Jonathan Byers & Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler, Steve Harrington & Nancy Wheeler
Series: NaNoWriMo 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2042158
Comments: 16
Kudos: 98





	to hold you in my arms

**Author's Note:**

> The second of my NaNo fics being posted, one of my favorites of them in fact. And the one I was most looking forward to writing before November started.
> 
> Written for the prompt: **Can I hold you?** from WillowRose99's 300 follower writing challenge!
> 
> This isn't beta'd or even looked over by anyone except for me, so feel free to point out any typos I've missed! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Everything is in chaos for a while. Steve can hardly keep track of who is where or what is going on as the mall becomes flooded with more government or military or whatever-they-are personnel. Men start to herd them out of the building in a hurry. The monster doesn't twitch as they near it. Hargrove's body is a mess and Steve doesn't _care_ except that Max is sitting right there, crying. She won't let Lucas move her.

Steve touches Robin's arm, nodding for her to go on ahead. After the day he's had, he hardly notices the men telling him to keep moving toward the doors. Any other time, Steve would think twice about ignoring a bunch of heavily armored men with guns. But they aren't pointing any of those guns at him and seem to be on their side. So even though they're loud and pushy and obviously want him out of there, Steve makes his way over to Max instead.

"Come on, kiddo," he says, kneeling behind her. He rubs her back, heart aching at the sound of her heaved breaths. "We've got to go."

She shakes her head against Lucas' shoulder, not taking her eyes off of Hargrove. Steve isn't sure how he's going to get her to move short of dragging her out until someone—an EMT, he thinks—comes over carrying some kind of sheet. Once it's draped over Hargrove's body, it's like Max's strings have been cut. She falls further into Lucas, arms tight around his middle. She doesn't protest when he helps her stand up or when Steve walks out with them, hand on her shoulder.

They're rushed to one of the ambulances as soon as they get outside. Steve squeezes Max's shoulder before he lets her go. She doesn't seem to notice but Lucas nods at him.

Steve gets looked over. His face is throbbing even worse by the time they're done cleaning and patching him up as best they can without going to the hospital. He thinks he probably _should_ go. Get checked out. Who knows what having that fucking truth serum might do to his system? But it doesn't look like they're going anywhere anytime soon with the chaos around the mall.

One of the EMTs wraps a blanket around his shoulders and Steve pulls it tight. There are people everywhere. With so many of them running around and trying to figure out what's going on, it takes him a minute to see where _his_ people are. Robin is slumped in the back of one of the ambulances. Max and Lucas are closest to him, huddled up together under a blanket of their own.

His breath catches when he sees the ambulance where Nancy and Jonathan are. Steve moves without thought. The person who cleaned his wounds calls for him to sit back down but he can't. He has to see that she's—they're—okay.

"Nance—" he clears his throat, "Nancy."

She lifts her head from Jonathan's shoulder. They both look at him with sad, tired eyes and Steve starts to shake. He tries pulling his blanket even tighter around but it doesn't help. It isn't the cold that's doing it.

He's barely spoken to her in months, really. Not regularly. At first because he couldn't handle seeing them together, knowing he hadn't been _enough_ for her. Then because it had become a habit that he didn't know how to break when he knew there wasn't a place for him with her, them, anymore.

None of that matters now, when she almost died. _Would have_ died if he hadn't gotten there in time. If he'd left thirty seconds, twenty seconds, later he would have watched her and Jonathan and the kids get crushed by Hargrove's car. His chest gets tight, lungs burning with a need for oxygen that he can't satisfy.

"Steve?" Jonathan says quietly, concerned. Like he's worried about whatever he's seeing. Steve's fingers ache from how tightly they're curled around the ends of his blanket.

Nancy sits the rest of the way up. Breathing becomes a little easier seeing that they're both. They're both _okay_. Sitting up and breathing and talking to him. He's relieved but he can't stop _shaking_.

"Can I hold you?" he blurts out.

Nancy and Jonathan look at each other, just a glance, before she nods. Steve watches as Jonathan comes out first, giving her a hand to steady herself on the way down the short drop. Her feet have barely touched the ground when Steve wraps his arms around her. Oxygen floods his lungs. He can finally breathe again. Burying his face in her hair, Steve closes his eyes and holds her as tightly as he dares. It isn't tight enough but he can't, won't, _refuses_ to hurt her.

She doesn't hesitate to hold him back. The pain across his chest flares back to life when her face rubs against him. Air hisses through his teeth but when she makes to pull away he lets out a desperate sound that he's sure will embarrass him when he thinks about this later.

"Don't let go. Please. Not yet."

"I won't," she says so softly he can only just hear it. Listening to her voice, quiet as it is, calms him even more. He's still shaking but he doesn't have to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering anymore.

Movement catches his eye. Steve sees Jonathan shifting on his feet, arms stiff at his sides. His shoulders are crooked like he's trying to keep them from bunching up around his ears and is only halfway successful.

He could have been dead right now, too. He'd been in the car right behind Nancy. Even with Hargrove barreling toward them, Jonathan didn't leave her. Couldn't any more than Steve could risk hurting her now.

Unsure of his welcome but unable to stand seeing Jonathan there and not checking, _feeling_ that he is okay, Steve reaches out to grip his sleeve. Jonathan's eyebrows shoot up. He doesn't step away or tug his sleeve back, though. Heartened, Steve pulls him close enough that he can have his arms around both of them.

Nancy moves over, making space for Jonathan beside her. She pulls away just enough to copy Steve in holding onto both of them. He expects Jonathan to stand as straight and stiff as he'd been on his own, but instead Jonathan seems to melt into it.

Steve doesn't know how long the three of them stand there holding each other before Mrs. Byers—Will close at her side—comes to check on them. She doesn't say anything at first. Mrs. Byers walks around them and rests a shaky hand on Jonathan's back. Steve isn't expecting her to rub his arm, a gentle reassuring touch that has his bottom lip threatening to tremble. He breathes deep and slow and ignores the way his chest burns.

"Your mom is here, Nancy," Mrs. Byers says.

Steve swallows, tightening his hold on both of them. Just for a moment. He's been selfish enough already, has taken more of their time than he should have when they both have families who care about them and should be the ones making sure they're okay. It's still with slow, reluctant effort that Steve lets go.

"Sorry," he says, not meeting either of their eyes. He'd just needed to check for himself that they were fine. Now that he has, he should pick up his fallen blanket and go find Robin again. Make sure someone knows to get Dustin and Erica. Figure out how he's going to get home.

Jonathan grabs his arm before he can take more than one step away.

"Don't be," he says, catching Steve's eyes. His thumb rubs over Steve's arm and it's nice. Nice enough that he can't make himself move even though he knows he should. Most of him hurts, but this _doesn't_ and he doesn't want to lose it.

Nancy kisses Jonathan's cheek and squeezes Steve's arm with a small smile before heading for her family. He watches Mrs. Wheeler, who is already hugging Mike, pull Nancy close the second she's in reach. It's hard to watch her walk away. Shouldn't be. He's been doing fine without her for a long time. Thought he was, at least. Dustin being away for so long, and not being friendly with Robin until tonight, showed him how alone he is. But he lost the right to be upset about Nancy walking away when he didn't at least _try_ to stay friends after...everything last year.

Mrs. Byers, still holding Will close to her side, runs a gentle hand through Jonathan's hair. She cups the side of his face, petting her thumb over his cheek in exactly the same way that Jonathan is doing to Steve's arm. Steve watches him lean into it, expects him to let go. Maybe gather his family into a hug like the Wheelers. 

If anything, Jonathan's grip gets tighter. Tight enough it would take real effort for Steve to get out of it.

"Oh Steve." Mrs. Byers turns to him next. Her wide eyes take in the damage on his face. Everything has been so crazy he doesn't blame her if she's only just noticing. Is it really a monster slash government takedown if Steve doesn't come out of the night with new bruises?

Her hand hovers in front of him for a second before she seems to rethink touching his head anywhere. His chest goes tight again even as he tries to shove aside a sense of loss; he appreciates the thought, he does, because it would only hurt if she went through with it. Instead she pets his shoulder and down his arm and looks _so_ worried. He swallows, mustering up a smile that stings his cheek.

"Looks worse than it feels."

Jonathan adjusts his grip down Steve's arm to his wrist. His hand twitches like he wants to tighten it again but, considerate as his mom, doesn't want to cause more pain. Neither of them look convinced—even Will's eyebrows raise high on his forehead as he looks Steve over.

"Then I don't know how you're standing right now," she says, still rubbing his arm. The Byers are very—He doesn't think he's been touched this much, minus the interrogation, since he was still dating Nancy.

Steve almost shrugs but doesn't want Mrs. Byers to think he's trying to shake her off.

"Takes more than a Russian interrogation to keep me down I guess?" he tries to joke. It doesn't go over well if the way Jonathan squeezes his arm is any indication.

Jonathan lets go like he's been burned when Steve hisses. "Sorry."

Steve shakes his head and ignores the way the world goes blurry at the edges. "It's fine, I'm fine."

"That's not even a little bit true."

Steve startles at Nancy's voice coming from somewhere behind him. When he turns, she has one of her eyebrows raised like he's proved her point. God, he's missed her face, her expressions. He doesn't even care how pathetic it makes him that he's missed her _you're an idiot, Steve Harrington_ face. Not when she's still around _to_ make it.

"Did they give you anything for the pain?" she asks, face smoothing into concern. She doesn't look as sad as she had before. Knowing that her family is safe helped, he thinks.

Steve almost shakes his head again but thinks better of it at the last second.

"No, uh," his neck seems to pulse just from thinking about it. "Wasn't sure it would be a good idea with the"—he waves his hand around his neck—"truth serum."

—"The what?"

—"The what?"

The question comes from all sides like thunder in a storm. He jolts, wincing at the sound and movement. 

"It's been a long couple of days," he says, shoulders drooping under some invisible weight. It's starting to become too much trouble to stay standing.

Between one blink and the next, Nancy takes hold of his arm. He thinks he should protest, try to move away; he's taken enough of her attention as it is. But she's warm and somehow still familiar and might be the only thing keeping him on his feet. She guides him to the edge of the ambulance, steadying him when he wobbles trying to sit down. His blanket makes a reappearance with Jonathan draping it over his shoulders. Nancy rests her cheek lightly against the top of his arm. Enough that he can feel it but not so much that it hurts.

It feels good.

Jonathan takes up the space on his other side, arms not quite relaxed. Ready in case Steve falls over. Steve gives a slow blink and smiles in thanks, though he isn't sure that Jonathan understands. He looks...a lot more worried than Steve thinks a smile should warrant.

"Mom," Jonathan says, not taking his eyes off of Steve.

"Steve," Mrs. Byers says, standing in front of them. Steve wonders how she does it. She looks tired but not nearly as bad as most of them. Her kids are always right in the middle of all of this insanity. Steve's only been involved at the last minute. Sideways or something, not really part of the whole thing. But here she is, letting Will go to say goodbye to Mike and Lucas before their parents take them home, and offering Steve a smile that somehow reaches her eyes. "How about you come home with us?"

"Huh?"

He's confused. Did one of those punches mess up his hearing? He doesn't _think_ it should take so long to kick in, but what does he know about anything? Especially with how foggy his mind is beginning to feel.

Jonathan's hand is warm and just as confusing when he wraps it again around Steve's wrist, careful of the marks left there. It might sting but it feels like a drop in the ocean that the rest of his injuries make up. Steve stares at it without really seeing it.

"Maybe he should go to the hospital," Nancy suggests. Steve blinks hard and the fireworks shooting behind his eyes wakes him up enough to protest.

"No, they already looked me over."

He thinks he was considering it earlier. Because of the serum and the...everything. But spending the night anywhere that cold and uncomfortable? It's all a little too soon, too fresh. There's no way he'll get any rest if he's stuck in a hospital bed all hooked up to monitors with people he doesn't know coming to check on him at all hours of the night.

"Then you really should come home with us, sweetie."

He looks at Joyce with her tired smile and her kind voice and pet names for people she barely knows and it's hard to want to refuse.

"Dustin and Erica."

"What?" she asks, blinking.

"They're still with Cerebro," he says. He's already taken too long bringing it up. They're probably freaking out not knowing what's going on. Mrs. Byers stares blankly but Will's eyes widen in recognition. "Dustin's radio. They're still—Someone needs to get them."

"Owens already sent some of his people to pick them up."

Steve scrunches his face and immediately regrets it. When did Hopper get here?

"He did?" Steve asks, last bit of adrenaline fading now that he knows the kids aren't going to be stranded much longer.

Hopper nods. He's holding El close to his side, the same way Mrs. Byers had with Will. El has both of her arms wrapped around his middle, face half buried in his side. She looks Steve up and down with one eye, lips turning down at the corners.

"Okay?" she asks. It comes out muffled and hard to hear over the din of the parking lot.

"Yeah," he tells her, but sounds more tired than he means to.

"You'll _actually_ feel better once you've gotten some rest," Mrs. Byers says pointedly. Nancy nods against his shoulder. He hadn't forgotten she was there, exactly, but he's still surprised by the reminder.

"Robin," he starts to say. Hopper shakes his head.

"Your Scoops-whatever friend? Her parents already picked her up. She didn't want to go to the hospital either. Nothing was broken or anything."

Steve thinks about the bone saw the doctor took out and the way she giggled through telling him she peed when she saw it and he laughs. It's not funny, not even a little bit. But it's one of the very few bright spots of the last week and he thinks maybe the exhaustion is starting to get to him. The adults exchange a glance, reminding him so much of Nancy and Jonathan that the laugh dies in his throat.

"Inside joke," he says weakly with a small shrug.

"Go with them," Nancy tells him as she sits up. She smiles when he looks at her. Leaning in close, she continues softly enough no one else will hear, "I don't want you going to that big empty house tonight, okay?"

Of course. 

Of course she knows his parents are gone. Or it isn't hard for her to guess that things haven't changed since they broke up. They aren't with the group of parents who have come to check on their kids. Not that they would have been even if they were in town. Steve will be surprised if they even hear about any of it before his face is halfway healed. On the bright side, it will give him time to nail whatever cover up they decide to go with this time around.

She is so close and looking at him with wide, pleading eyes like she really cares. It makes it hard to come up with another reason he can't go with them. Especially when it does sound better to stay with people rather than going home and licking his wounds in private. He's not sure he could get up the stairs to his room at home. If he's going to sleep on a couch anyway, why not one in a full house?

"Okay," he says. Nancy smiles brightly. "Okay, that. That sounds good, actually."

"Great." Nancy squeezes his arm and hops off the ambulance. Steve hardly notices the jostling when she leans in and kisses his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Still smiling, she leaves him with a final rub on his arm before standing in front of Jonathan. She cups Jonathan's face in her hands and kisses him gently. Steve hears her whisper a quiet, "Thank you," with a brief glance in his direction.

Jonathan nods, kissing her again. He doesn't let go of Steve's wrist.

Nancy says goodbye to the rest of them. Her mom is waiting for her a little ways away and pulls her into another fierce hug when Nancy reaches her. Steve isn't sure Mrs. Wheeler is going to let either of her kids out of her sight long enough for her to see anyone tomorrow.

"Come on."

Jonathan stands next. He lets Steve get up, however unsteadily, on his own though his hand is still a warm circle around Steve's wrist. The world goes fuzzy around the edges once Steve is up on his feet. He wobbles, falling into Jonathan's side. He doesn't know how they don't both go tumbling to the ground. Steve is crashing hard now that everything that's been keeping him awake is being handled. Jonathan can't be doing much better but he stays upright.

It takes his sluggish mind a second to realize his wrist has gone cold because Jonathan is wrapping his arm around Steve's back to steady him.

"You guys gonna be okay?"

Is Hopper further away than he was before? His voice sounds quieter, hard to make sense of.

"Yeah." Jonathan's voice is much closer. He sounds tired and confident all at once. Steve wonders how he's doing that. "We'll keep an eye on him."

Everything else becomes a blur of walking and trying to find a comfortable position—an impossible task he discovers—in the car before, feeling safer than he has in days, he falls asleep against Jonathan's shoulder.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed it, please consider letting me know with a comment or some kudos! <3


End file.
